Houston Rockets: 4 priorities heading into the 2021-22 season

Houston Rockets’ offseason priorities: Develop the young players

The Rockets have a roster full of young talented players with loads of potential. The most important thing for these players is to allow them to gain experience even if they struggle early. Some may not agree with this theory, but what do the Rockets have to lose? If the young guys play great and are able to secure wins, it would signal that the organization made the correct personnel decisions and that they can define roles and establish an identity.

If the Rockets suffer through another losing season, just continue to add talent through the draft and if they can secure another lottery pick they just add another piece to the puzzle they are trying to complete. The Rockets drafted four players who all could see significant playing time right out of the gate. The Rockets owned the second overall selection and drafted the super talented Jalen Green who played with the NBA G League Ignite.

Green has the potential to crack the starting lineup come opening night depending on how quickly he develops, his performance during training camp, and how quickly he can adjust to the NBA. Green is an athletic finisher who can also shoot it at a high level and could one day be in the conversation for NBA MVP if he works hard enough because he can be just that good.

Alperen Sengun was taken with the 16th overall selection and could become a threat in the frontcourt playing alongside Christian Wood He won the Turkish League MVP at only 18 years old and his game is often compared to the likes of Nikola Vucevic, Domantis Sabonis, and this season’s NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.

Sengun can protect the rim, plays well in the low post, and is polished offensively. Usman Garuba was selected with the 23rd overall pick. He is a player with raw potential who has to work on his offensive fundamentals but is an elite defender with All-NBA defensive potential. Garuba is a high-energy player with shot-blocking ability and could become one of the league’s premier defenders.

Then, there is Josh Christopher who was selected with the 24th pick right behind Garuba. Christopher is an athletic finisher who is also a good ball-handler who can play shooting guard or small forward. His versatility will be key for the Rockets as he gives them the ability to insert him into multiple diverse lineups. After acquiring Kevin Porter Jr. last season, the Rockets got a promising young player with star potential.

Porter Jr. had his coming-out party in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks where he put a career-high 50 points to go along with 11 assists. Porter Jr. should be a key piece for the Rockets moving forward into the future and should be afforded more opportunities to score with so many other offensive weapons on the roster.

Probably the most underrated player on the team, Kenyon Martin Jr. was drafted 52nd overall in the 2nd round of the 2020 NBA Draft. Many viewed him as a project and thought maybe that he was drafted due to his father, Kenyon Martin Sr., having NBA ties but that’s not the case at all. Martin Jr.’s play reminded many of that of his dad as he displayed the same elite athleticism and had some huge games for the Rockets as he came on strong at the end of last season.

During the final 12 games of the season, Martin Jr. averaged 16.7 points to go along with 7.3 rebounds during that stretch.